adminCouncil management at the mining town on Monday spent the better part of the day locked inside their offices after angry workers who were insisting on their pay threatened to beat them up.
They only managed to get out of their offices at about 3pm after the workers had dispersed. The workers had converged on the town house at about 8am.
The workers alleged that the council failed to pay them their salaries for the past two months and said they would continue with the industrial action until their grievances have been addressed.
“This is now too much. It appears Shurugwi Town Council management is only concerned about their welfare and that of councillors. They do not respect us as their employees. We have to go on strike first for us to get our salaries,” fumed one employee.
The employees said management awarded themselves hefty salary increases and gave councillors huge allowances.
“No one seems to be concerned about the workers’ welfare. It’s now two months and we have not been paid our salaries. It’s amazing that the employees have gone for such a long time without getting paid. The council awarded councillors $1 000 in allowances for their trip to Victoria Falls,” said another employee.
The employees said the councillors’ trip to the just-ended Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) conference held in Victoria Falls gobbled about $10 000.
“After spending that much in allowances for the Victoria Falls trip, council management are now claiming that they do not have money to pay our salaries,” said the employee.
Shurugwi Town Council chairman Councillor Bulle Madzitire blamed the liquidity challenges facing the council on residents and some Government departments which he said were not paying their bills.
He said the council was owed huge amounts by Government departments and residents. He said as such it was finding it difficult to meet its financial obligations such as paying salaries.
“As council, we have been struggling to raise the employees’ salaries because we are owed close to $5 million by Government departments and residents,” he said.
Clr Madzitire said Shurugwi Town Council’s wage bill was $45 000 a month, a figure which he said was difficult to raise owing to the high rate of defaulting.
“Almost 60 percent of residents are not servicing their council accounts. Government departments also owe us huge sums of money. The employees expect the council to still raise the required $45 000 every month which is impossible,” he said.
Clr Madzitire, however, refuted allegations that the council spent $10 000 on the Victoria Falls trip.
“I think there is someone from the management who is misinforming employees about the money which the council spent for the Victoria Falls trip. We spent only $5 000 and this is nothing compared to our wage bill,” he said.
Most MDC-T-run urban councils have been accused of corruption and rampant abuse of ratepayers’ money.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was quoted in the media recently admitting that there was rampant corruption within the councils.
He said this was adversely affecting service delivery.
PM Tsvangirai made the revelations while addressing the ZILGA conference in Victoria Falls last Thursday.
Online Reporter